Blog CGIAR climate-smart innovations for agriculture scaled through strong partnerships across West Africa
West Africa’s regional and national organizations responsible for agricultural research and extension systems are strengthening their capacity in assessing and prioritizing climate-smart agriculture (CSA) across the region, mainstreaming it in both policy and practice.
A series of workshops and trainings in implementing CSA practices and technologies have shared knowledge, built skills and allowed for practical experience for more than 500 participants across five West African countries.
West Africa faces increasing climate challenges, demanding well-coordinated climate action that achieves a triple win of boosting productivity, strengthening adaptation, and reducing emissions.
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) is a conceptual way of thinking about how to achieve this goal. CSA innovations and technologies developed by the CGIAR centres, particularly as part of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture, and Food Security (CCAFS), have helped policymakers to effectively mainstream CSA into policy and practice that works for farmers.
Scaling CSA innovations to address climate change issues requires a large pool of skilled professionals ready to apply these concepts at all levels. That’s why AICCRA has supported several organizations, including the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF), to capacitate and enhance the skills of stakeholders across West Africa through a series of training sessions.
Building on tools and methods developed by the Alliance of Bioversity international and CIAT, the capacity building workshops have strengthened National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) in CSA assessment, project formulation, and participatory approaches. As networks of research institutes, universities, extension services, and farmer organizations, NARS drive agricultural innovation and policy. Strengthening their capacity will play a critical role in enhancing agricultural productivity, sustainability, and resilience to climate change.
"Adopting climate-smart agriculture practices remains a major challenge in most African countries. Farmers and agricultural professionals often lack the tools and knowledge to assess climate risks, prioritize appropriate actions, and implement effective solutions. To address this challenge, AICCRA is leveraging CGIAR science and strategic partnerships to strengthen technical capacities across the region," said Robert Zougmoré, AICCRA Director and Alliance Scientist.
